ObesityThe Rise of obesity in america

This photo is of Tess Holiday. One of her infamous quotes posted on the photograph stating that she knows she is “fat” and she doesn’t care. While many may praise Holliday for being so body positive, the question of if she has the right to also can be asked. Many also argue that Holliday’s obviously obese body should not be “ideal” or even accepted by any means for the health risks alone. Her extremism in the modeling industry can be compared to anorexic models, with the commonality of sporting unhealthy lifestyles.

This picture consists of many foods that cause one to gain weight. Of course there are exceptions in people who happen to be large like genetics, diseases, or lack of physical activity. But one can not deny that the reason obesity in the US is at an all time high is because of the growth in mass production of these foods. Meats being one strong example in particular. Once fast food distributors realized they could use many different parts of the animal (and other) in order to produce burgers or hot dogs, the meat industry was booming. These types of foods also correlate with a growth in poverty, as these foods are all very cheap and affordable. Why wouldn't Americans buy them?

another example on why obesity is spreading in the US. Often even people who are not impoverished will go for the cheaper, saltier, more filling option. How does America expect change when this is what is being reinforced and enabled?

This chart shows all the health risks that Americans face everyday while battling, or accepting obesity. While cancer is listed as one of the risks, which has been proven true, obesity itself kills more people than cancer does just from all the other health complications that come along with it. This chart clearly asserts that there is nothing to “love” or “accept” about being fat.

This photograph is a real example of mass production in America. This being a major contributor to the rise in casualties caused by obesity. This meat containing high cholesterol and if and when combined with other gmos, fecal material, antibiotics, dioxins, and many more substances that can lead to extreme obesity, especially consumed in excess like we Americans tend to do.

The problem is that ⅔ of Americans are overweight. The American Heart Association states that “Nearly 70% of American adults are either overweight or obese” (http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/HealthyLiving/WeightManagement/Obesity/Obesity-Information_UCM_307908_Article.jsp#.WMtukjvyvIU). That means average American is overweight by a doctor's viewpoint. Things like mass production, patriotic consumerism, and marketing to the impoverished or working classes (which is unfortunately a large population), are all major components of why obesity is at an all time high and increasing. Issues like eating disorders and unrealistic body standards (leading to binge eating) are also a major parts of this issue. People are now beginning to also “accept” obesity under the guidelines of “self love,” when it is harmful and the number one cause of death, higher than cancer! According to the Havard school of public health, “Obesity increases the risk of several debilitating, and deadly diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.”(.https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-consequences/health-effects/)

To propose an actual solution for this problem is difficult. People are most likely always going to experience eating disorders, and there has certainly been people who are “larger” for decades. However, the problem is not that there are problematic individuals who might be hurting themselves, the problem is the rise of obesity in mass numbers. Until the issue of mass production and the high prices of healthy food (so the impoverished are encouraged to buy what is cheaper and more filling), stops, then obesity will most likely continue to rise in America. While this does have to do with the mass production of goods and advertising to the poor, which is definitely harder to put a stop to as an everyday human being with no real dominion over the major companies running large fast food chains and liquor stores, every single person is capable of stopping self hatred, idolizing unrealistic body standards, and “fat acceptance” (which all goes back to the individual I suppose). While everyone should be “body positive,” there is a line to be drawn when one's health is at risk, this goes for anorexia, bulimia and glorifying obesity. Stopping the extremism of simply “accepting” killing oneself, will hopefully begin to change America’s perspectives on health and being brainwashed by major corporations (because it is not only the working classes that are experiencing obesity, although that is a part of it). Even if this unwillingness to “accept” starts with certain individuals, hopefully enough people will catch onto this trend and there will at least be stagnation in America’s obesity problem, rather than a rapid growth. It begins with changing the mindset that killing yourself is “okay” and a part of “loving yourself” and instead realize that it is not okay and contributing to the problem. You can’t force people to love themselves but you can at least persuade them to stop pretending that they do. Until the shift in perspective occurs amongst a large number of Americans, the issue will not change, it will only advance at a rapid pace.

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/obe/risks

This website lists all the reasons and causes one might be struggling with obesity and how to correct the issue. It also lists some health complications that come along with an unhealthy lifestyle.

http://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/

This site gives the exact years and statistics in the rises and declines in health and obesity. This site also gives statistics in regards to factors like age, gender, and ethnic background.

https://www.brown.edu/Research/Shapiro/pdfs/obesity.pdf

This article gives reasoning behind why Americans have become more obese and trends in obesity. This author also gives statistics and graphs concerning specific demographics of Us obesity.

This article directly links poverty to obesity. One can read more information about how the impoverished are subjected to a lack of nutritious food and many health complications.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/fat-acceptance/

This is a post from the huffingtonpost discussing “fatphobia” and hurtful comments people have said to those suffering from obesity. While one can see the hurtful and by no means acceptable or okay things people have said to these women, one has to wonder what they mean by “fatphobia” and how articles and videos like this normalize obesity.